Graphic card help needed

[bongohonky]

Hi,
I have an e machines 2.7 Ghz comp which has an intel extreme 64 MB graphics system. My son has some new games that require pixel shading and other new fangled baloney like that. I bought a PCI card for my machine but it won't fit. It seems the machine only has standard PCI slots and not the required PCI-E ones. I need to know if there are any graphics cards out there that will give me what I want that will fit my comp? If not, will I have to get a new motherboard? If so, which would anyone recommend. It all seems a bit stupid to me that they would sell what was a high spec machine with such paltry slots but hey, what do I know. Thanks.
Nick.

[kalniel]

Yes I'm afraid many prebuilt computers come with poor motherboards - though it doesn't sound like a particularly high spec machine.

You should be able to find a 6200TC PCI card that has these pixel shaders - but unfortunately the card is very slow and it will only run games quite poorly. Which games in particular is your son trying to play?

Going down the new motherboard route might be the only option, however you'll probably have to also get a new copy of your operating system, as yours is likely to be tied into the motherboard.

[IAmATeaf]

What machine is it? As the make, type of motherboard and the PSU will all affect what you can do.

[redlight]

I have fitted new MBs to a few E Machines and I think you will find it is an MSI board.
If you are lucky you will find a similar MSI board with an AGP slot on Ebay.
They turn up pretty often usually around £30.

Edit
In fact I think this is one.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Microstar-Micr...QQcmdZViewItem


The only problem you have I think is for front audio as it is a one block connector and is wired differently.
But because it is basiclly the same board with added AGP slot you can get away with not doing a re-install of windows.

[bongohonky]

Thanks for your help guys. My son has been trying to run a few different games so I'm not sure. One of them is the Warhammer 40k games. Those are the only ones I can think of off the top of my head. I have seen one called Far Cry knocking about, so that could be another one. Suffice to say no of them work. Also, is 2.7Ghz not considered very powerful? Damn those e-machine people! Have I been sold a pup?

[MKA]

is e machines the ones they sell in tesco? i was in my local pc shop the other day to buy a cpu heatsink and fan and i got chatting to the owner. he was telling me the pc's tesco sell which i thought was e machines, i could be completely wrong by the way (goldfish have been known to have a better memory than me), are the main source of his business as they are always breaking down and he is having to fix them.

a word of advice when buying anything technological these days, research research research! and if you ask me avoid places like PC World, tesco and so forth.

hope you dont have many probs sorting your problem mate. hopefully your son can be enjoying his favourite games soon enough.

[Koolpc]

I would go and buy a new case (Cheap one) and also buy a newer Mobo.

[bongohonky]

I don't know about Tesco but I did get it from those sons of fun at PC World. Ok it was a mistake. It was the first thing I have ever bought there and will probably be the last. I thought I was bad but they really are duffers. So, is the general opinion that I need a new motherboard? Would it be cheaper than getting a new system?

[nimbu]

As stated depends if you have an AGP slot on the motherboard. If you do, you may be able to pick up an AGP video card which may enable you to get some additional use before you retire the machine.

Do you know the model number of your PC?

[bongohonky]

It is a 3210 and I can tell you it has no AGP slots although the graphic system it has built in claims to be 3D AGP Intel Extreme. It only has 3 standard PCI's. I must say it is looking a bit grim for this machine and I haven't had it that long. I understand that computer technology is racing ahead of itself but to have such blatant "built-in" obsolescence is a real jip.

[DratUK]

K after a bit of research I think I have found your mobo

Intel® D845GVSR "Sea Breeze" Mainboard
Source
Motherboards Used In European Models (Denmark/France/Finland/Italy/Norway/Spain/Sweden/UK)
Bout half way down 3210

Spec
Processor
Support for an Intel® Pentium® 4 processor in an mPGA478 socket with a 400/533 MHz system bus
Support for an Intel® Celeron® processor in an mPGA478 socket with a 400 MHz system bus

Chipset
Intel® 845GV Chipset

Memory
Two 184-pin DDR SDRAM DIMM sockets
Support for single-sided or double-sided DIMMs (DDR 333/266/200)
Support for up to 2 GB system memory

Audio
Audio subsystem for AC '97 processing using the Realtek ALC202A codec

Video
Intel® Extreme Graphics controller

Onboard I/O Connectors
Up to six USB ports
One serial port
One parallel port
Two IDE interfaces with Ultra DMA 33 and ATA-66/100 support
One diskette drive interface
PS/2* keyboard and mouse ports
Three fan connectors
SMSC LPC47M172 LPC bus I/O controller or National Semiconductor PC87372 LPC Bus I/O controller

Onboard IDE
• N/A

Expansion Slots
Three PCI bus add-in card connectors (SMBus routed to PCI bus connector 2)

BIOS
• N/A

Onboard LAN
• N/A

IEEE 1394
• N/A

Form Factor
microATX (9.60 inches by 8.20 inches [233.69 millimeters by 208.28 millimeters])
So yes new mobo graphics card processor, you have a Celeron 2.7 fitted basically its a pup to use your expression, if your son is to play Far Cry or any game from the past few years.

That link is to the Unofficial eMachines forums. You might be able to get some advice and support as to how best to approach this problem.

[SHare]

I would approach this problem by throwing it in the bin. Imagine selling a machine without any means to upgrade something as basic as graphics cards. To be more serious though, I'd cut my loses and get a new system, either shop around and get something from somewhere like Scan or novatech or build your own. Parts are really cheap just now unless you want 8800's and quad core .

You could probably get a nice 939 amd system, or low end core 2 system built for about £300.